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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22759717">Home For Good</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NalgeneWhore/pseuds/NalgeneWhore'>NalgeneWhore</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Elorcan One Shots [42]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Army, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Returning Home, soldier!lorcan surprises teacher!elide</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 11:40:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>840</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22759717</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NalgeneWhore/pseuds/NalgeneWhore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff"><p>im also on tumblr @nalgenewhore! (i post there more regularly)</p></div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elide Lochan/Lorcan Salvaterre</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Elorcan One Shots [42]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1636468</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Home For Good</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first person he saw walking off the plane was Aelin, his best friend bouncing on her toes next to his brother who was rolling his eyes at her.</p><p> </p><p>When she saw him, she squealed and shoved through everyone else waiting on the tarmac to sprint to him, running at full tilt, her hair flying behind her, “Lorcan!”</p><p> </p><p>She launched herself onto him and he grunted under the impact, his arms wrapping around her. “Miss me, Ace?”</p><p> </p><p>She laughed and wiped away her tears as he let her down and passed her to hug Rowan, “Ro.”</p><p> </p><p>They hugged each other tightly, “I thought I’d lose you this time, Lor.” His voice was choked and Lorcan fought back tears.</p><p> </p><p>“Me too.” He swallowed past his tight throat and stepped back, “Can we go?” He felt trapped here, too many people and too much open space.</p><p> </p><p>Aelin looped her arm around his waist and pinched his side, “Yessir, your girl’s been missing your whole warrior-brute thing.”</p><p> </p><p>He chuckled as they manoeuvred around the other soldiers and families, making their way to Rowan’s truck.</p><p> </p><p>Lorcan tossed his duffle into the bed next to Fleetfoot who propped her head up on the hatch back. He smiled and scratched her ears, “Hey, girlie.” Her tail thumped and he scratched her one last time before opening the door and climbing in, shoving Aelin into the middle of the bench.</p><p> </p><p>“Ready, L?”</p><p> </p><p>He nodded, unable to speak now that it was settling in that he was home for good this time.</p><p> </p><p>Lorcan was silent during the ride to Elide’s school where she worked as an English teacher. Every landmark they passed as they drove further and further from the base had him closer to tears, ones he discreetly wiped away though Aelin smirked and nudged him with an elbow, “Going soft on us, are we?”</p><p> </p><p>Although her tone was light, she knew better than anyone else what he was feeling, the dramatic shift from active combat to civilian life. She and Lorcan hadn’t been the only ones to serve in their cohort but they had seen and gone through the toughest deployments, understood the others pain on a deeper level than their family, it was one of the reasons why they were so close.</p><p> </p><p>“You wish, Galathynius if only cause it’ll mean I go easy on you.”</p><p> </p><p>She chuckled as Rowan turned into the parking lot and stopped in a spot by the back, knowing that Lorcan would need to have the vehicle in a place of vantage.</p><p> </p><p>They climbed out but Lorcan rested on the door as Aelin and Rowan walked up the path, breathing hard. Aelin raced back, worry clear in her bright eyes, clouding over with understanding. “Need a sec, L?”</p><p> </p><p>He nodded and closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing to drown out the sounds of bombs and bullets, screams of his men and women. Aelin smoothed her hand over his back, letting her touch show him he was home, letting him tether this moment to her. “You’re alright. It’s ok, everybody’s safe, I promise,” she murmured and her words brought him back. He looked down at her and nodded, setting off and ignoring the look Rowan gave him that said he saw through this facade. He knew Aelin did too but they were silent, their footsteps the only sound as they walked to Elide’s classroom.</p><p> </p><p>The door was open and her soothing voice floated out into the hallway, washing over him. He grinned and waited a second, running a hand through his hair, noting he should cut it now that he was home.</p><p> </p><p>“Ready?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” he breathed as he strode over before this courage left him and rapped his knuckles on the door, twenty heads swiveling to look at him with expectant faces. He kept his eyes on the woman at the front of the room, smiling softly at her. Elide looked at him like she had seen a ghost. “Hey, El.”</p><p> </p><p>A soft sob left her lips as she covered her mouth with a hand, her narrow eyes filling with tears.</p><p> </p><p>The students watching the exchange with slow spreading grins that only grew as she walked over to him, reaching a shaking hand out to rest it over his heart. He waited as her eyes swept up and down his body, checking that he was safe and whole. “I’m ok, El.”</p><p> </p><p>She cried as she stretched up onto her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him tightly against her as he looped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her neck, breathing in a scent that had eluded his senses for twelve long months.</p><p> </p><p>“You asshole, why didn’t you tell me you were coming home? I hate you.”</p><p> </p><p>He chuckled, hugging her tighter, “Blame your sister and her love of dramatics.”</p><p> </p><p>Elide laughed tearfully, “How long do I get you this time?”</p><p> </p><p>Lorcan pulled back, reading the reservation in her eyes, knowing she hadn’t let herself hope this time. “Forever. I’m back for good, baby.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>im also on tumblr @nalgenewhore! (i post there more regularly)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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